From Publishers Weekly
In this readable, if less than compelling, disquisition on the close relationship of art and science, physics professor Atalay uses as his touchstone Leonardo da Vinci, of whom he says in his prologue: "Had [da Vinci] been able to publish the scientific ruminations found in his manuscripts in his own time, our present level of sophistication in science and technology might have been reached one or two centuries earlier." This assertion sets the buoyant tone for the rest of the book. The author marvels at the symmetries to be found in art and the natural world, discussing the Fibonacci series (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...) and the golden ratio related to it designated by the Greek letter phi (1.618...) with illustrated examples ranging from da Vinci's three portraits of women to the Great Pyramid and the Parthenon. He concedes the existence of asymmetry and dissonance, but chooses not to get into such subjects as chaos theory and fractals that don't fit his harmonious view of the universe. While Atalay makes an agreeable guide, he covers too much ground that will already be familiar to his likely audience. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Jamie Wyeth
A masterful examination of the differences and similarities in the sciences and the arts.
Sherwin Nuland, author of Leonardo da Vinci and winner of the 1994 National Book Award
So insightful, so original, and so well-reasoned that it immediately becomes an essential volume in the canon of Leonardiana.
William D. Phillips, winner of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics
"...a delightful romp through millennia...bringing together art, architecture, science, and mathematics under the umbrella of Leonardo's genius."
Book Description
Math and the Mona Lisa sees the transcendant unity of art and science in almost every aspect of Leonardo's life and work. Atalay seeks the consilience of science and art—painting, architecture, sculpture, music, mathematics, physics, biology, astronomy, and engineering—and the unity of the two cultures. He delves deeply into the underlying mathematics and aesthetics of science and art, paying special attention to the mathematical sequence called the Fibonacci series and to the related notion of the "golden ratio" or "divine proportion"—the keys to understanding the unity of art and nature. 32 b/w and 16 color illustrations.
Math and the Mona Lisa: The Art and Science of Leonardo Da Vinci FROM THE PUBLISHER
"Bulent Atalay examines the science and mathematics that underlie Leonardo's work, paying special attention to the proportions, patterns, shapes, and symmetries that scientists and mathematicians have also identified in nature. He argues that while most artists inform their works with certain symmetries and regularities unconsciously, Leonardo often did so with conscious effort. Atalay looks closely at the famous mathematical expression known as the Fibonacci Series, a sequence of numbers whose relationships express what scientists and artists sometimes call the golden ratio or divine proportion, and its repeated expression in Leonardo's few but famous paintings, including the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper." "Following Leonardo's own unique and powerful model, Atalay searches for the internal dynamics of art and science, revealing to us the deep unity of the two cultures, their methods, modes of analysis, and forms of expression. He provides a broad overview of the development of science from the dawn of civilization and the invention of numbers to today's quantum mechanics. From that base of information Atalay succeeds in offering a new and fascinating view into Leonardo's restless intellect, extraordinary psyche, and modus operandi, allowing us to see the source of his ideas and to appreciate his art from a new perspective." Math and the Mona Lisa is a celebration of the science of art and the art of science, to the timelessness and universality of Leonardo's work, and to the wonders of nature revealed through science and mathematics.
SYNOPSIS
Bülent (physics, Mary Washington College) explores the unity and fundamental connections between art and science, as exemplified by the life and work of Leonardo Da Vinci. Although to the unwary eye the title may suggest that this is either a biography or an examination of the work of Da Vinci, only three chapters are devoted to his life and works; the rest of the book traces the development of science (primarily physics) and math from the dawn of civilization to the birth of quantum physics. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
In this readable, if less than compelling, disquisition on the close relationship of art and science, physics professor Atalay uses as his touchstone Leonardo da Vinci, of whom he says in his prologue: "Had [da Vinci] been able to publish the scientific ruminations found in his manuscripts in his own time, our present level of sophistication in science and technology might have been reached one or two centuries earlier." This assertion sets the buoyant tone for the rest of the book. The author marvels at the symmetries to be found in art and the natural world, discussing the Fibonacci series (0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8...) and the golden ratio related to it designated by the Greek letter phi (1.618...) with illustrated examples ranging from da Vinci's three portraits of women to the Great Pyramid and the Parthenon. He concedes the existence of asymmetry and dissonance, but chooses not to get into such subjects as chaos theory and fractals that don't fit his harmonious view of the universe. While Atalay makes an agreeable guide, he covers too much ground that will already be familiar to his likely audience. (Apr.) Foreword: Blurbs from Jamie Wyeth and Sherwin Nuland, not to mention the current rage for all things da Vinci thanks to Dan Brown, should give a boost. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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